Conflicting data have been reported about the frequency and function of regulatory T cells in multiple myeloma. Most studies have investigated peripheral blood rather than bone marrow Tregs and side-by-side comparisons with bone marrow from healthy donors are still missing. In this study, we show that regulatory T cells total counts, subsets distribution, and expression of chemokine receptors are similar in the bone marrow of myeloma patients and healthy donors. Regulatory T cells are not recruited by myeloma cells in the bone marrow and their counts are unaffected by the tumor burden and the disease status. The diversity of T-cell receptor repertoire is highly preserved ensuring broad reactivity and effective suppressor function. Our results indicate that regulatory T cells may not be the main players of immunological tolerance to myeloma cells under baseline conditions, but their fully preserved immune competence may promote their inadvertent activation and blunt T-cell driven anti-myeloma immune interventions even after that myeloma cells have successfully been cleared by chemotherapy.

The bone marrow of myeloma patients is steadily inhabited by a normal-sized pool of functional regulatory T cells irrespective of the disease status.

FOGLIETTA, MYRIAM;CASTELLA, BARBARA;MARIANI, Sara;COSCIA, Marta;RUGGERI, Marina;PALUMBO, Antonio;BOCCADORO, Mario;MASSAIA, Massimo
2014-01-01

Abstract

Conflicting data have been reported about the frequency and function of regulatory T cells in multiple myeloma. Most studies have investigated peripheral blood rather than bone marrow Tregs and side-by-side comparisons with bone marrow from healthy donors are still missing. In this study, we show that regulatory T cells total counts, subsets distribution, and expression of chemokine receptors are similar in the bone marrow of myeloma patients and healthy donors. Regulatory T cells are not recruited by myeloma cells in the bone marrow and their counts are unaffected by the tumor burden and the disease status. The diversity of T-cell receptor repertoire is highly preserved ensuring broad reactivity and effective suppressor function. Our results indicate that regulatory T cells may not be the main players of immunological tolerance to myeloma cells under baseline conditions, but their fully preserved immune competence may promote their inadvertent activation and blunt T-cell driven anti-myeloma immune interventions even after that myeloma cells have successfully been cleared by chemotherapy.
2014
99
10
1605
1610
M. Foglietta; B. Castella; S. Mariani; M. Coscia; L. Godio; R. Ferracini; M. Ruggeri; V. Muccio; P. Omede'; A. Palumbo; M. Boccadoro; M. Massaia
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2318/149006
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